Today was an Amy Choi tour de force. I even understood the slap. I don’t endorse it, but it was a clear sign that Sofia hasn’t lost her mother’s support—and I’m okay with that. Honestly, thinking back to Johnny’s trial, Amy would’ve made a far better patsy for EJ’s fake video than Chanel. Missed opportunity.

The Holly and Tate announcement of their documentary side quest felt unnecessary. I think we’ve officially found Salem’s new teen investigators, but they might want to pivot back to college life and leave the sleuthing to Steve.

For example, Johnny deleted Holly's photos, but are they still on Holly's cloud account?  And can't they use the timing as evidence against Sofia?  It feels like we got a lot of details about Sofia stealing Holly's phone that haven't paid off now that Holly got a new phone. -- Is than 18 months ago technology?  I think we still had icloud back then.

Also, @carolineg— you may want to slaughter me for asking,😉 but was that Holly’s room at Maggie’s or the dorm? I thought she and Ari were kicked out for starting the fire. But they must still be in the dorms if Amy came looking for Sofia there. And it definitely wasn’t Tate’s room.  And wasn't Ari lugging her trash bags to move back to the Hernandez house?

And one last thing: if Mr. Choi turns out to be fictional, I wouldn’t mind a little Brady/Amy romance. Just putting it out there.

 

Edited October 17Oct 17 by j swift

35 minutes ago, j swift said:

Today was an Amy Choi tour de force. I even understood the slap. I don’t endorse it, but it was a clear sign that Sofia hasn’t lost her mother’s support—and I’m okay with that. Honestly, thinking back to Johnny’s trial, Amy would’ve made a far better patsy for EJ’s fake video than Chanel. Missed opportunity.

The Holly and Tate announcement of their documentary side quest felt unnecessary. I think we’ve officially found Salem’s new teen investigators, but they might want to pivot back to college life and leave the sleuthing to Steve.

For example, Johnny deleted Holly's photos, but are they still on Holly's cloud account?  And can't they use the timing as evidence against Sofia?  It feels like we got a lot of details about Sofia stealing Holly's phone that haven't paid off now that Holly got a new phone. -- Is than 18 months ago technology?  I think we still had icloud back then.

Also, @carolineg— you may want to slaughter me for asking,😉 but was that Holly’s room at Maggie’s or the dorm? I thought she and Ari were kicked out for starting the fire. But they must still be in the dorms if Amy came looking for Sofia there. And it definitely wasn’t Tate’s room.  And wasn't Ari lugging her trash bags to move back to the Hernandez house?

And one last thing: if Mr. Choi turns out to be fictional, I wouldn’t mind a little Brady/Amy romance. Just putting it out there.

 

Holly's room was at the dorms.  Holly/Ari ruined their first room with the fire and have to face disciplinary action, but they were relocated to a different room.

Ari was just getting her dry cleaning done to get the smoke out of her clothes.  Ari never had any plans of leaving the dorm-just relocating.  She asked Sophia to help her and everything.

Remember when Gabi slept with EJ to punish Stefan for sleeping with Ava?

I'm a bit surprised they've never gone back there.  Gabi and Philip do not inspire greatness.  Although I liked Gabi and Xander.

Also, the floor of an office is not sexy.

@carolineg - I hope Holly/Maggie or Sofia/Amy are paying for Ari's dry cleaning, that was a large trashbag.  And, you know, Will and Sonny did not send Ari off to college with a cheap wardrobe.

Edited October 17Oct 17 by j swift

1 hour ago, j swift said:

 

@carolineg - I hope Holly/Maggie or Sofia/Amy are paying for Ari's dry cleaning, that was a large trashbag.  And, you know, Will and Sonny did not send Ari off to college with a cheap wardrobe.

Gabi said she would.  It was Gabi's idea, but Holly offered to pay her part.  I believe it was both the girls laundry.

Ari also wasn't concerned too much about her wardrobe since her mom owns a clothing company.  It's probably more Gabi than Will/Sonny providing her expensive clothes.

Personally, I would allow Sonny to shop for me before I would wear GabiChic, but to each their own.😄

We don't hear a lot how Justin's side of the family (other than Alex), is handling the news of Titan's money issues. Has the news reached the  (one assumes) Arizona branches of Titan? (IDK what Sonny does now, and I don't know why they're staying in Arizona now that they're empty nesters - nothing against AZ).

Also, Philip's line about Kiriakis always pays their debts felt odd.  I know it is his last name, but it was either a clunky line or a clunky delivery.  It was one of those lines that one never hears IRL.

Edited October 17Oct 17 by j swift

36 minutes ago, j swift said:

Personally, I would allow Sonny to shop for me before I would wear GabiChic, but to each their own.😄

I don't think we have really seen much of Gabi Chic's designs, but I think Gabi looks really put together most of the time.

Will only wears cardigans lol.

It was all about Sophia again.

I like how everything ultimately came together at the Pub today. We finally got the chance to learn why Sophia did some of the things that she did. And her explanation actually did make some sense to me. I just wish more things had been revealed before Sophia had her breakdown. And that Aaron had been there too. I liked it but it all did feel a little rushed. I don't see why those scenes couldn't have played out for the whole episode. Paula/Jeanne don't seem to be fans of ending an episode with a cliffhanger. 

But Rachel Boyd actually did a little better than she usually does lol

I'm interested in seeing what's going to happen with Sophia and the baby and everything now that she seems to have finally broken down.

And while I enjoyed EJ vs. Sarah, it didn't really seem to fit in with the rest of the episode. But I'm glad that she and Brady cleared the air about her knowing the truth about Sophia.

Very sweet Leo/Javi scenes today. Good chemistry between the actors.

As I mentioned after watching this week's preview, catatonia turned out to be the perfect workaround for Sofia’s weak acting. 😎

Meanwhile, Amy continues to be used effectively. Her emotional shift across the last two episodes added just enough momentum to make the storyline click by the end.

That said, I genuinely thought Sofia was hiding in EJ’s lab. Finding out she was just upstairs at the pub? Wildly underwhelming. Poor planning all around.

Also, I’m still firmly on the Amy-Brady train. Her deep-seated hatred of the DiMeras could easily fuel Basic Black into an international power base. There’s real potential there, and I saw some chemistry between the two.  Especially because Brady seems more forgiving of Amy than Sarah.

@AbcNbc247 I totally agree—the pacing felt off. The episode could’ve ended cleanly with Sofia passing out, but instead we got a wrap-up that tied up most of the loose ends. Still, it was strange to hear two separate scenes recapping recent events. I assume that’s a writer’s trick to gloss over the plotholes and keep casual viewers on track.

 

2 hours ago, j swift said:

@AbcNbc247 I totally agree—the pacing felt off. The episode could’ve ended cleanly with Sofia passing out, but instead we got a wrap-up that tied up most of the loose ends. Still, it was strange to hear two separate scenes recapping recent events. I assume that’s a writer’s trick to gloss over the plotholes and keep casual viewers on track.

And Sophia passing out would've been a great hook to get people to tune in tomorrow. I liked what we got, but we basically robbed of a lot of beats, mostly Sophia admitting to Aaron that he's the father. The acting wouldn't have been the best lol but I would've loved to have seen that and now it looks we won't.

Unless (purely speculation) it turns out that Sophia is faking the breakdown.

14 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Unless (purely speculation) it turns out that Sophia is faking the breakdown.

I wondered why the dx of Selective Mutism, which is more typical in children, than catatonia?  IRL, selective mutism describes a situation where a child refuses to speak in a certain environment, but speaks freely elsewhere, that doesn't seem to be the case with Sophia.

But, I assumed it will be used as a source of amnesia, up until the holidays when Tesoro while finally find a home and be able to leave the manger with Leo, Javi, and Rafe serving as the three wise men.

I also wondered if all the Dr. Mark Greene and Dimitri discussion is setting the stage for Javi's exit?

Edited October 20Oct 20 by j swift

9 minutes ago, j swift said:

I also wondered if all the Dr. Mark Greene and Dimitri discussion is setting the stage for Javi's exit?

Spoiler

I think Mark is coming back Wednesday. And so far, the word is that Javi is being recast

 

Edited October 20Oct 20 by AbcNbc247

Happy Birthday Belle!

As much as I liked her and EJ together, I did also like that she had no time for EJ's crap today. But I'm not too sure about moving him into everything that's going on with Sophia though. I know Johnny's his son, but I just don't know. It doesn't feel right. If anything, Johnny should be moved into everything that EJ's doing at the hospital, and try to stop him or something, which could lead to a lot of conflict between the two of them, Johnny and Chanel, etc.

I enjoyed Belle's scenes with Marlena as well.

I thought Theo was used effectively today, first with Xander, then with Gabi and then with EJ. He seemed to hold his own pretty well with Xander and I wouldn't mind seeing the two of them go head to head over the companies. I also enjoyed seeing him go head to head with Gabi. And the fact that he promised to keep Gabi's secret about the planted bug could lead to something interesting happening. As for chemistry, I think he has more with Arianna than with Gabi though. And I do wonder if his conversation with EJ at the end might mean something somewhere down the line.

As for Abe/Paulina, I'm still Team Abe, despite their scenes today. Idk if this was intentional on part of the writers, but it seemed a little like they were trying to make Abe the bad guy. The way he was speaking to Paulina today definitely raised an eyebrow or two lol but I don't think that's going to work though. It's Abe. But I'm really looking forward to seeing this all play out.

And, Philip did look hot at the beginning 😍😂

We need to see the real consequences of EJ’s hospital cutbacks. Kayla and Sarah have voiced their frustrations, and we got the blackout, but there’s no follow-through on how patient care is actually suffering. If Marlena’s sleep illness or Paulina's cancer aftercare were shown to worsen because of the budget slashes, the story would land with more emotional weight. 

On a related note, I looked it up—Belle was born at the Horton Cabin. That got me thinking: of the characters currently in Salem who were born on-screen, how many were actually born at University Hospital (in a non-emergency situation)?  It is odd, culturally, that soaps (and other forms of entertainment) continue to portray birth as a traumatic event, rather than a painful, but natural experience.  For example, asking women to abstain from taking pain medications for fear that it will have lasting negative side effects, (but, I am veering off course..)

I also revisited Stefano’s role in exposing John as Belle’s father. That moment  marks a turning point in Stefano’s obsession with Marlena. So if the show highlights Belle’s birthday this year, it’s a loaded reference.

But here’s my eternal soap question: As an audience, are we to believe that Belle actually knows the full story of her conception?  Her horrible christening? The kidnapping by Sami? The paternity reveal? Are we supposed to believe she never googled herself? Or that Mimi never blurted it out?

I enjoyed the Theo, Gabi, Xander, Philip scene.  But the setup was weak.  Theo is there to make sure the transition goes smoothly?  How?  Titan divested their funds in Dimera, is he looking to get back their key cards and passwords?

Finally, I have to give credit to the writing and casting of Theo today. His quick deduction that Gabi planted the listening device, and his instinct that Gabi is keeping that secret from Xander and Philip, was sharp and specific. He’s being written as observant and clever, not socially withdrawn, and that’s an admirable choice for portraying a neurodivergent character who’s accomplished so much. Abe, on the other hand, came off as dismissive. If they’re setting up a Theo versus Liam rivalry based on Abe’s approval, that ship has sailed. I just wish someone would say that Paulina's advice matters because (1) she's been a CEO, (2) she's worked with the Dimeras professionally, and (3) she has a personal ax to grind with EJ, so if she approves of Theo being the CEO, it holds weight.  

PS, I keep thinking Liam is Asher (I also looked up his name), the crack dealer who Hope busted as a teen, who had gone to school with Shawn, who was part of the story when John Black died earlier this summer.  But, obviously, if Asher is Shawn's age, and Shawn is Claire's father, who Theo dated, it is just a coincidence that every guy in Salem grew up with a bully.

 

Edited October 21Oct 21 by j swift

6 hours ago, j swift said:

On a related note, I looked it up—Belle was born at the Horton Cabin. That got me thinking: of the characters currently in Salem who were born on-screen, how many were actually born at University Hospital (in a non-emergency situation)?

According to Jason47, only Sarah, Shawn, Alex, Stephanie, EJ and Theo.

7 hours ago, j swift said:

Finally, I have to give credit to the writing and casting of Theo today. His quick deduction that Gabi planted the listening device, and his instinct that Gabi is keeping that secret from Xander and Philip, was sharp and specific. He’s being written as observant and clever, not socially withdrawn, and that’s an admirable choice for portraying a neurodivergent character who’s accomplished so much.

The newfound intelligence that many characters have had lately continues to impress me 😂

Plus, this is a much better use of Theo than the last time he was onscreen for a prolonged period of time.